Kids attending co-educational schools tend to have more friends, according to a study examining gender and education, reports RTE.
A report from the UCD School of Education revealed that girls in all-girls’ primary schools have notably fewer friends than kids, regardless of gender, in other types of schools, and that both boys and girls in co-educational settings have more friends compared to those in single-sex schools.
This information comes from the latest findings of the ‘Children’s School Lives’ longitudinal study, which has been investigating the experiences of students in 189 primary schools nationwide through surveys, observations, and case studies, reports RTE.
The research also indicated that friendships among girls are typically closer, while boys often focus more on popularity within their social circles.
These trends were observed to be most pronounced in single-sex educational environments.
The report highlighted various differences “both within and between” girls and boys concerning their confidence levels, self-esteem, aspirations, and attitudes towards learning and various aspects of school life, reports RTE.
These factors all “influence how children engage with their learning in primary school and the opportunities they envision for themselves.”
Additionally, the study noted distinctions in perspectives between children in single-sex versus co-educational schools.
Girls in all-girls’ institutions are the most likely to believe their teacher considers them “smart”, yet they are also the most likely to feel they lack a voice in the educational setting, according to the study.
Girls attending all-girls’ schools exhibited the most gender-equal perspectives, while boys in all-boys’ schools displayed the least, reports RTE.
Simultaneously, teachers from both single-sex and co-educational schools expressed a preference for co-educational settings, viewing them as more reflective of society and everyday experiences.
“Many teachers interviewed perceive single-sex schools as reinforcing gender binaries,” the report states, reports RTE.
Children who took part in interviews with the researchers were noted to “clearly distinguish” between the traits and behaviors of boys and girls.
“All children commonly identified girls as being more engaged in learning, less disruptive in class, and more gentle during play activities than boys,” the research observed.
Researchers discovered that children associated being a “good” boy with intelligence, math skills, and physical strength alongside an expectation to excel in sports, reports RTE.
Conversely, a “good” girl was linked with qualities such as “niceness, kindness, caring, and politeness.”
The study indicated that as children age, there are signs of diminished gender stereotyping among girls, but an increase in gender stereotyping among boys.
Regarding their enjoyment of school, the research showed that girls generally express more positive feelings towards school than boys, a trend evident in both single-sex and co-educational institutions, reports RTE.
Differences also appeared between boys and girls concerning their engagement with various subjects, the study found.
Girls tend to have a higher interest in reading and writing, whereas boys are more likely than girls to express feelings of being “bored, worried, or confused by literacy learning activities.”
In mathematics, researchers found a notable discrepancy in self-assessment, with boys rating their skills higher compared to girls’ ratings of their own abilities.
The study identified clear differences across other curricular areas as well as in extracurricular activities, reports RTE.
“Boys showed greater enthusiasm for Physical Education and Social, Environmental, and Scientific Education, while girls demonstrated more interest than boys in Art, Drama, Music, and Irish,” it noted.
When it comes to extra-curricular activities: “Boys are significantly more likely than girls to participate in team sports outside of school while girls are more likely to participate in music, dance and swimming activities”, reports RTE.
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